MIAMI HEAT'S DEFENSE PROVES TO BE TOO MUCH FOR THE CHICAGO BULLS! THE HEAT WINS THE GAME 3, 96-85

The series is getting intense, with bodies falling and tempers rising, and yet who would've thought in this atmosphere the Bulls would get their heads Boshed in? 

Yes, that was Chris Bosh, thumping the Bulls in Game 3, along with his own chest after celebrating a nifty spin move and dunk that brought the house down and put the Heat up in the best-of-seven. Yes, that was Bosh, almost matching the scoring total of the more celebrated of the Big Three, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

Wait. This was the same player who wondered aloud during the Boston series if he was too intimidated by the surroundings?

The same player who missed 17 of 18 shots against the Bulls during the regular season, which of course happened so long ago and therefore means little to nothing at this point?

The same player who's always publicly referenced as the No. 3, the caboose, the Ringo of the group and even downgraded as the half man (as in 2 ½ men)?

The final slap, or dig, or whatever you want to call it, to be applied to Bosh's ego and reputation came by Carlos Boozer, who before the series spoke about facing "their two great players." Um, just like those two players, Bosh played in All-Star Games and was a member of Team USA and was a solo star in Toronto, but such is the price paid when constantly compared to LeBron and Wade.

Yes. Whatever. Laid back and even gentle by nature, Bosh was on his toes from the opening tip and made it look like he was back with the Raptors, doing whatever necessary to carry his club.

Miami is a dangerous team when Bosh is as engaged and involved as The Other Two, and in Game 3 they were unbeatable. What's more, the Heat are unpredictably hard to defend in that situation, putting teams in a pick-your-poison dilemma, essentially deciding between taking an uppercut, a roundhouse right or a hard jab.

Given what Wade and LeBron did in Game 2, the Bulls decided to take their chances with Bosh and absorbed a 96-85 loss, and now trail 2-1.

This was the second time in three games Bosh led the Heat in scoring, getting 30 in Game 1, when Miami took a 21-point beating. He made 13 of his last 15 shots in Game 3. It is always about intensity when it comes to Bosh, who brings out his best -- his beast? -- when the spirit moves him.  Check out the highlights:

The Bulls can still win this series, although you wonder how they can, at this point. The Heat are still undefeated in the playoffs at home and host Game 4 on Tuesday. Derrick Rose is being forced by Wade and LeBron to either give up the ball or take tough shots. Cracks are starting to show in the Bulls' composure, with Joakim Noah whining about calls and even lashing out at a fan in the first half (and possibly uttering the same word that got Kobe Bryant fined weeks ago). Mainly, Miami is giving the Bulls a dose of their own medicine, using defense the last two games to keep the Bulls from coming anywhere close to the 102 points scored in the opener.

Finally: If Miami is going to get this much from Bosh, and now with Udonis Haslem healthy and frisky, can the Heat possibly lose three of the next four? It will take a lot more than shaky shooting (41 percent in Game 3) for the Bulls to pull that off.

As much abuse as LeBron took last summer not only for leaving Cleveland but the way he left, few of his critics ever called his talent into question. Not so with Bosh, who endured a season where his talent and manhood was constantly being judged from the outside. Even fellow NBA players chimed in, which is normally taboo, mostly famously when Kevin Durant mocked Bosh for being a "fake tough guy."

Nothing fake about Game 3 from Bosh, though. It all seemed authentic.

It's all coming together. For Bosh. For the Heat. They are halfway to reaching their stated goal of playing for a championship, their Big Three seemingly standing on equal ground.  Good job guys.

LEBRON JAMES SCORES 35 TO LEAD THE HEAT OVER THE CELTICS IN OT, 98-90

It's no surprise to me that the Miami Heat was going to win this game.  It only comes as a surprise to those who are not witnesses. Boston Celtics fans.  Most Celtics fans believe that the past victories over Lebron James (Cavs) and Dwayne Wade (Heat) were suppose to take place again this season when these two All-Stars joined forces.  All of you thought wrong.

Last night Lebron James and D. Wade took the challenge of defeating their nemesis personally.  Miami Heat toppled the Boston Celtics in OT at TD Garden in Boston finally.  Here's how it went down.

The Heat shut the defending Eastern Conference champs down last night in game 4, holding them to just 90 points on 98 possessions in an eight-point, overtime victory, which gives them a commanding 3-1 lead in this conference semifinal series.


For the Miami Heat, this wasn't their first signature win, but it was their biggest. Since Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen arrived in Boston, the Heat had never won a game at the TD Garden. And perhaps it was appropriate that they ended that streak by out-defending the Celtics.  The Celtics certainly helped the Heat out, especially down the stretch.  Rajon Rondo missed a bunny with 1:11 left in the fourth quarter and Allen and Garnett failed to execute the play Doc Rivers' called on the final possession of regulation, leaving Paul Pierce to force a long, contested jumper at the buzzer. Which he missed.


There were mistakes and miscues, for sure. But the Heat played a big part in the Celtics' inability to execute offensively. The Miami defense was active and disruptive for most of the night.

This win didn't come without some offense from the Heat. Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade combined for 83 points, and the Heat are now 30-3 when the big three combine for 75 or more. Bosh's performance, capped by a dagger tip-in in overtime, was especially critical. But make no mistake. This series was always about LeBron and redemption from last season's series with the Celtics, when a segment of the basketball world turned against him. And after coming up big Monday, he is one victory from distancing himself from that previous series, his lowest professional moment. Which I won't go into. Let's just say redemption is sweet.

LeBron was a driven man in Game 4, because he knew the stakes, which were steep. You saw in the way he demanded the ball and played with a passion. You saw when, after Ray Allen put the Celtics up three points with 2:28 left, how LeBron immediately responded with a 3-pointer of his own. 

In OT he drew an offensive foul on Pierce, the first charge of the postseason for LeBron, that swung momentum and ultimately the outcome in Miami's favor. Thirty-five points and 14 rebounds only begins to explain the effort of a player who badly wants to move on in the playoffs.

Well next game is on Wednesday on TNT at 7pm ET.  We'll see if the Boston Celtics have enough gas in their tanks to get a win in South Beach.  I seriously doubt if the Celtics will beat Miami three more games, but this is the NBA so we can only wait and see.

THE MIAMI HEAT CRUSH THE CELTICS AT HOME IN GAME 2 VICTORY, 102-91

Miami's Big Three are playing better than Boston's, which was driven home with authority in the fourth quarter of Game 2 Tuesday night when LeBron James took over from Dwyane Wade and cemented the 102-91 victory.


Yes, too much LeBron and Wade, who combined for 63 points, with Chris Bosh thrown in, and Miami is looking like the team to beat not only in this series, but the post season. 

Just take a close look at the playoff landscape and judge for yourself where the Heat fit. The Bulls were beaten at home by the Hawks, who were 6-18 during the regular season against 50-win teams, and who are without Kirk Hinrich, their best defender for Derrick Rose, the just-minted MVP.  And anyway, the Bulls looked less than formidable in their first-round series against Indiana.

The Lakers are down 0-1 to the Mavericks and may get the urge to send out a search party soon for Pau Gasol, now the lesser of the Gasol brothers. That's because Marc helped the Grizzlies surprise Oklahoma City in the opener of that West semifinal, which is weighed in the Thunder's favor, given the Grizzlies are without Rudy Gay, their leading scorer.

As for the Heat? True, they were sloppy against the Sixers. Their first round was hardly inspiring; too many slow starts and gruesome-looking finishes. But two games against the defending East champion Celtics in American Airlines Arena have lacked much suspense or doubt.  Miami is the only team in the conference semis not to drop a game at home.

Well, the Celtics haven't yet figured out the Heat, especially Miami's defense. Boston shot 37 percent in the first half of Game 2 and never really recovered.  A 14-0 run after an 80-80 deadlock with 7:10 left, fueled by LeBron's 12 points, put the Celtics to bed.

LeBron scored 35 points (14-for-25 shooting), following up the 38 by Wade (14-for-21) in Game 1, giving the Heat the two best players on the floor in this series so far. They've been especially hellish on Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, who are offering little defensive resistance against the quicker Miami players. LeBron played a clean game, with no turnovers in 44 minutes.

Each had a signature play in Game 2: LeBron putting a spin move on a flopping Rajon Rondo for a dunk, while Wade zig-zagged past Garnett for a swoop layup.

The Celtics look old. They can't catch LeBron and Wade streaking downcourt for baskets. Pierce hardly atoned for his Game 1 ejection, offering a mild 13-point performance and will go to Boston looking to recapture his first-round touch, which was blistering against the Knicks. Just the same, Garnett hasn't looked dominant, getting only six rebounds in Game 2 after managing only two baskets in Game 1.

Allen, Pierce and Rondo all left the game with various ailments, not a good sign for Boston.

Jeff Green was productive, getting 11 points off the bench. But unless the Celtics win it all, or at least reach the NBA Finals, there will always be a lingering question: Was the Kendrick Perkins trade helpful or hurtful here in the short term?

The answer in this series so far is a shrug. Jermaine O'Neal, now starting in place of Perkins and Shaquille O'Neal, has been functional through two games and damaged Miami on the offensive glass (five) in Game 2. And did anyone see Perkins with his new team the other night, when the Thunder were destroyed in the paint by Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph? While Perkins was certainly useful for the Celtics, helping them to two trips to the Finals, he was never an All-Star and did have his flaws.

Still, the Celtics traded a starter for a backup, a big man for an undersized power forward, a player who was making an impact now versus a player whose time is tomorrow. Maybe the Celtics wouldn't have been able to sign Perkins in the offseason, but they're built to win now and worry about tomorrow well, tomorrow.

Next up is Game 3 at TD Garden, where the Heat played the Celtics tight, losing by eight points in the season opener and then by three right before the All-Star break. The atmosphere at the Garden will be more of what Miami endured all season, to the point the Heat are immune to the poison. This should be a good game.  Either Boston will bounce back and redeem themselves with a must win at home or the Miami Heat will go up 3-0, either way the onus is on Boston.  I can't wait for the results of Game 3.  We'll soon see...

LAKERS LOSE TO THE MAVS IN GAME 1 OF THE SEMI-FINALS 96-94

The Mavericks will be glad to have that composure conversation, now that they survived the longest seven-tenths of a second in team history, now that, in the end, they did a lot more than survive Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

They were on the road, in the third different city in as many outings, facing an opponent that knows all about winning in the clutch, and were down 16 points early in the third quarter and heading toward a blowout loss. Worst of all for the Mavericks, they were coming unhinged, making foolish decisions.

Then, they made a stand.

The big deficit disappeared, followed by the premature celebration around cavernous Staples Center. Dallas would beat the Lakers 96-94 in this West semifinal opener because it didn't follow the first instinct of collapsing into the swamp that formed around both sides of halftime. It dug in for a comeback victory that has to be a confidence boost for a team that surely can use one in these situations.

The postseason has been tortuous territory for the Mavericks. From coughing up the commanding 2-0 series lead and a 13-point cushion in the fourth quarter of Game 3 against the Heat in the 2006 Finals, to shrinking into the history books with a meek showing against the Warriors in a first-round mega-upset in 2007, to as recently as April 23. That was the Brandon Roy Game, except it was also the day Dallas updated its resume by wasting a 23-point lead on the Trail Blazers in a loss.

There has always been another recovery for these Mavs, so far. They responded to the gut check in Portland by winning the next two games to advance and clinching that series on the road, before coming to Los Angeles and climbing off the mat again, and on the road again.

The flash moment at the end of the first half and the start of the second, that was more like it, the kind of disintegration that has come to define the postseason Mavericks. Jason Terry made a ridiculous decision by challenging Lamar Odom and fouling deep in the backcourt with seven-tenths of a second on the clock as Odom was flinging up a no-chance shot. Odom made three free throws. And when Dirk Nowitzki whipped an elbow while positioning for a potential rebound on the last attempt from the line, he was called for a technical, Kobe Bryant converted that, and Dallas had handed over four unnecessary points when it should have been in the locker room trailing only 49-44.

When the Lakers opened the second half with a 7-0 burst, the two-time defending champions had a 60-44 cushion in this one.

In perfect position to wilt again, the Mavs instead stepped up. They shot 61.1 percent in the third quarter, overcame seven turnovers, and closed to within three late in the period before trailing 78-71 heading into the fourth. Once there, they shot 52.6 percent, didn't have a turnover and the Lakers managed just 31.8 percent. The comeback was complete as Dirk Nowitzki scored 11 of his team-high 28 points in the decisive 12 minutes.

Of course he did. In just the first round, Nowitzki hit the Trail Blazers for 18 points in the fourth of Game 1, 14 in the same stretch of Game 2 and 14 in the quarter of the Game 6 clincher, all Dallas victories. All moments of composure.

Jersey's Sports Fanatic!: Heat beat Celtics at their own game in Game 1 win

Jersey's Sports Fanatic!: Heat beat Celtics at their own game in Game 1 win: "Dwyane Wade was talking about the Boston Celtics after Game 1 on Sunday. 'They make you pay for any mistakes,' he said. The Celtics are th..."

Heat beat Celtics at their own game in Game 1 win

Dwyane Wade was talking about the Boston Celtics after Game 1 on Sunday.

"They make you pay for any mistakes," he said.

The Celtics are the veteran team that takes advantage of any slip-up by their less experienced opponents. Their biggest strength is their ability to execute with precision and timeliness. Forget to box out and Rajon Rondo will sneak into the lane for an offensive rebound. Overpenetrate and Glen Davis will step up to take a charge. Turn your head to help on Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen will burn you with a three.

But in the Miami Heat's 99-90 victory in Game 1 of the conference semifinals, the Celtics made their opponent look like the veteran squad. It was the Celtics' mistakes that defined this game. And playing the role of Allen was the Heat's James Jones.

While the Celtics' offense has been its weakness over the last couple of months, this loss was about their defense. And while Dwyane Wade's offensive explosion had something to do with it, the Celtics can blame themselves for a good portion of Miami's 99 points.

Each of Jones' threes was a perfect example of how the Celtics' let their guard down defensively. On each, a different Celtic made a mistake to allow Jones to get open.

Three No. 1: Second quarter, 10:02. Culprit: Glen Davis

Chris Bosh sets an early screen for Mario Chalmers beyond the 3-point line on the left side of the floor. Davis, who was defending Bosh in transition, fails to contain or slow down Chalmers. Chalmers drives toward the foul line, forcing Jeff Green to help off of Jones, who is set up on the right wing. As Green closes, Chalmers feeds Jones for an open three.

Three No. 2: Second quarter, 9:28. Culprit: Jeff Green

In transition, Mike Miller drives into the paint from the left wing. As he does, Jones drifts from the right wing to the right corner, and nobody in green has any clue where he is. Green is the defender closest to Jones, but he never locates the shooter, even though Jones just hit a three on the previous possession. As defenders close in on Miller, he kicks the ball out to Jones, who drains a wide-open three.

Three No. 3: Second quarter, 6:58. Culprit: Delonte West

With LeBron James dribbling on the left wing, Jones cuts through the paint, defended by Ray Allen. As James comes off Bosh's screen, Delonte West gets lost trying to close out on Chalmers. As Joel Anthony screens Allen on the baseline, West is actually in good position for a switch onto Jones, but as Jones curls out to the top of the key, West realizes his man has drifted into the corner. He heads there, joining Allen in defending Chalmers, as James finds Jones all alone at the top.

Three No. 4: Second quarter, 3:35. Culprit: Ray Allen

Wade comes off a high screen and crosses over into the paint. Allen, defending Jones on the weak side, turns his head in looking to help on Wade, but doesn't do anything to actually stop him. Wade crosses the lane and finds an open Jones, who drifted to the corner while Allen was in no-man's land with his head turned.

Three No. 5: Third quarter, 3:02. Culprit: Kevin Garnett

The problems with this defensive possession aren't nearly as egregious as the four above. With Miami playing small, Garnett is defending Jones, who cuts through the paint and curls around on the weak side for a catch-and-shoot three near the top of the key. Garnett loses Jones for just a slight second on the baseline and then gets caught on Anthony's screen. With Jermaine O'Neal ignoring Anthony to help on the strong side, no one's there to switch onto Jones.

Against a Boston defense that's looking to load up on the strong side and keep James and Wade out of the paint, a weak-side shooter like Jones is critical. And this won't be the only game in which his makes (or misses) have a big effect on the outcome.

Jones' effect on the Miami offense went beyond his 25 points. When he was on the floor, the Heat scored 69 points on 50 possessions (138 per 100). When he was on the bench, they scored just 30 points on 39 possessions (79 per 100). His ability to space the floor only helps James and Wade in their quest to get to the basket.

And the Celtics' mistakes went well beyond Jones' threes or just Xs and Os. Most obvious were Paul Pierce's two technical fouls, uncharacteristic losses of cool from a veteran that knows better than to react to a little extra contact. There was also Jermaine O'Neal's unnecessary elbow to a cutting Jones, which was called a flagrant one and helped the Heat register a five-point possession.

There were sloppy turnovers, two defensive three-second violations, and a play when Wade cut to the basket from the weak side, with the only person there in the lane to defend him being Anthony, his own teammate.

For the Celtics, Game 2 on Tuesday isn't about adjustments. It's not about defending Wade differently, making changes to the rotation, or running different plays. It's about being the team that takes advantage of mistakes, not the team that makes them.